Voting-machine.



0. K. VINCENT & F. D. HARTFORD.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov.20.1915.

1 ,203,084. T Patented 0d. 31,1916.

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o. K. VINCENT L F. D. HARTFORD.

VOTING MACHINL APPLICANON men Nov. 20, 1915.

1 ,203,084. Patented Oct. 31, 1916.

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97 INVENTORS 105 g4 @RIEN K v//vcE/vr FRBn n HARTFURD 96 i ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORIEN K. VINCENT AND FRED D. HARTFORD, 0F ILION, NEW YORK.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 20, 1915i. Serial No. 62,515.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ORIEN K. VINCENT and FRED D. HARTFORD, citizens of the United States, residing at Ilion, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvenients in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to a voting machine and we declare the following to be a full, complete and concise description thereof sufficient to enable anyone skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being made the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the specification. l

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, eflicient voting machine that is adapted for use more particularly in the meetings of fraternal lodges.

The machine is designed to register accurately the number of votes cast for each individual candidate whose name appears upon the machine, as well as to register the total vote polled for all the candidates so posted.

Furthermore, the mechanism embodies an expedient manner for returning the numbering wheels to zero position, whereby the machine will be again ready for a subsequent election.

These objects will appear by referring to the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the voting machine, with the cover thrown back; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine with the cover omitted; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a numbering wheel employed; Fig. 4L is a side elevation of the numbering wheel illustrated in Fig. 3, showing the opposite side thereof;lFig. 5 is a perspective view of the mechanism contained with the box or casing, showing an end plate removed; Fig. 6 is a side elevation, showing a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a detail view of a goad employed; Fig. 8 is a detail perspec tive view of a locking member, showing certain immediate parts in fragment; Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of a handle and contiguousparts employed; Fig. 10 is a detail view showing a section taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary view showing a partial section vtaken on the line 11-11 of Fig. l.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the mechanism is housed in a casing or box -1-, having a cover 2 hinged theret0 at 3 3. 1 is provided with the hinges 4 4 to allow the same to swing down and out of the way of the working parts. The said front side has also the shoulders 5-5 and the lock 6 adapted to coperate with the corresponding part 7 in the cover 2. The top edge of the box is reduced or shouldered at 8 for the disposition of the auxiliary or false cover 9, which is made in three sections that are united by the hinges 10-10. The rear` section 11a of the auxiliary cover 9 is preferably fastened in position by the screws 12. The middle section 11 has the narrow elongated apertures 13 and 14 for the upward projection and free swinging movement of the lever handle 15 and the locking handles 16.

The front section 17 of the cover 9 is adapted to be swung upon a pair of the hinges 10, whereby to give access to the mechanism within the box -1-.

A card holder 18 is mounted to the section 17 of the cover 9, with the rather stiff hinges 19-19, whereby to hold said member 1S at any desired angle of elevation. Just in the rear of the card holder 18, are formed in the continguous edges of the sections 11 and 17, the inspection apertures 20. The section 17 of the cover 9 is provided with the narrow slots 21, which aline with the like slots 22 in the false front 23, fastened at either end to the adjacent inner sides 2xt- 24 of the box -1-.

The cover 2 is held from swinging open beyond a given distance by the chain 25 secured at 26 to the cover 2 and at 27 to the section 11 of the false cover 9.

The mechanism comprises the two end plates 26 and 27 which fit down into the box -.-1-- between the cleats 28 and 29 fixed to either of the interior opposite sides 24 of the box -1-. A shaft 30 having the reduced ends 31 to form trunnions adapted to fit into suitable bearings in the plates 26 and 27, supports, so as to revolve independently thereof, a plurality of wheels arranged in sets and numbered 31, 32 and 33 respectively in each set. Each of the wheels 31,

32 and 33 has the V shaped peripheral indentations 34 and the raised portions, ten

The front side 4a of the box i ioo in all in each instance, which are numbered consecutivelv from 0 to 9.

There are four sets of the wheels 31, 32 and 33. The first set on the right is provided for totaling the number of votes registered and will be described in detail hereinbelow. The other three sets are employed to register the vote cast for each individual.,

fulcrumed at 41 to the enlarged portion 42v of a lever handle 43. rlhe portion 42 of the lever handle 43 is furnished with an aperture 44 for mounting the said lever handle 43 upon the shaft 30, as a fulcrum, and has pivoted at 45, a second pawl 46. The tooth 47 of the pawl 46 is adapted to engage the teeth 48a of the ratchet 49 mounted to revolve with the shaft 59. The pawl 40 and the pawl 46 are held in normal position, whereby the tooth 39 of the pawl 40 will engage the teeth of the ratchet 36 and thc tooth 4S of the pawl 46 will engage the teeth 48a of the ratchet 49, when lowered, by the U shaped spring 51 secured to the enlarged portion 42 of the lever handle 43 by the headed screw 52 mounted in the lever handle 43.

On the side of the units wheel 31 opposite to that on which the ratchet 36 is los cated, there is a laterally projecting tooth 53 adapted to mesh with a single interstice between two of the teeth on the spur gear 54 mounted to revolve independent of the shaft 55 having reduced ends at 56 to form trunnions that fit into suitable bearings in the ends plates 26 and 27. As the spur gear 54 is sufficiently wide to occupy the interval between the contiguous surfaces of the wheels 31 and 32, and as the laterally project-ing tooth 53 occupies only one half of that interval, the spur gear 54 will mesh also with the spur gear 57 that occupies the other half. The spur gear 57 revolves or is integral with the tens wheel 32, which has projecting from its opposite side a laterally eX- tending tooth 58that occupies one half of the space between the contiguous surfaces of the wheel 32 and the wheel 33. The tooth '58 meshes with the teeth of the spur gear 59 once in every revolution and thereby causes said gear 59 to revolve through a short arc. The revolution of the gear 59 will in turn revolve the spur gear 60 that is made to revolve with the hundreds wheel 33.

The peripheries of each of the wheels 31,

32 and are engaged by the rollers 61 that are revolubly mounted in the ends of the flat springs 62. The opposite ends of the springs 62 are provided with long narrow recesses 63, whereby they may be secured adj ustably to the fulcrum bar 64 having the trunnions 65-65 adapted to fit into suitable journals inthe plates 26 and 27.

The bar 64 is rocked upon its trunnions 65 by a lever handle 15 secured thereto by a screw or bolt and is held in given position, whereby the springs 62 will cause the wheels 61 to exert a pressure upon the notched peripheries of the wheels 31, 32 and 33 by the recessed end 71 of the locking handles 16 fulcrumed to the end plates 26 at 73.

Each of the handles 43 is held in normal position, whereby the tooth 39 of the pawl 40 will engage the teeth of the ratchet 36, and the tooth 47 of the pawl 46 will engage the teeth 48"L of the ratchet 49, when lowered, by a coiled spring 74 that is fastened at one end to the aperture 75 of the enlarged portion 42 of the handle 43 and at the other to a headed screw threaded to the bottom surface of the box l-.

Upon the right hand end of the shaft 50, there is mounted to revolve therewith a spur gear in mesh with the spur gear 81 formed to revolve independently of the shaft 30. The spur gear 81 is part of the units wheel 82 of the totalizer and is adapted to revolve in unison therewith. Projecting laterally from the opposite side of the wheel 82, there is a tooth 83 which extends one half the distance between the contiguous sides of the units wheel 82 and the tens wheel 84. The tooth 83 is adapted to mesh in a single interstice of the teeth of the spur gear 85 once in every revolution of the wheel 82. The spur gear 85 is mounted to revolve independently of the shaft 55 and is wide enough to occupy the space between the contiguous surfaces of the wheels 82 and 84. The spur gear 85 is also in mesh with the spur gear 86, that occupies the other half of the interval between the wheels 82 and 34. The spur gear 86 is adapted to revolve with the tens wheel 84 of the set of totalizers. Similarly, the tens wheel 84 has a tooth 87 disposed on the side opposite the spur gear 86 and adapted to project half way between the adjacent surfaces of the tens wheel 84 and the hundreds wheel 88. The tooth 87 meshes once in every revolution kof the wheel 84 with an interstice of the teeth of the spur gear 89, which is also sufficiently wide to mesh with the spur gea-r 90 mounted upon the shaft 30 to revolve with the hundreds wheels 88.

The indented peripheries of the wheels 82, 84 and 88 are yieldingly engaged by the rollers 91 revolubly mounted in the ends of the flat springs 92 having elongated narrow recesses 93 similar' to the springs 62 employed in connection with the wheels 31, 32 and 33. The adjustable springs 92 are held by the headed screws 100 to the fulcrum bar 94 possessing the trunnions 95-95 adapted to rest in the journals formed in the end plates 26 and 27. The bar 94 is chamfered at 104 to allow the springs 92 to approach the peripheries of the wheels 82, 84 and 88 at an angle, and is confined to a given position, whereby the springs 92 will cause the rollers 91 to press in a yielding manner against the indented peripheries of the rollers 82, 84 and 88 by a pin 96 disposed at substantially right angles to the handle 97 mounted to slide in the recess provided in the end of the bar 94. The free end of the pin 96 can be projected into an aperture in the side of the end plate 27 to hold the fulcrum bar 94 in given position or be withdrawn from said aperture to release the bar 94, so it may turn upon its trunnions 95 as an aXis. Furthermore, the bar 94 is provided with threaded apertures for mounting the screws 102 adapted to form stops against which the edges of the respective handles 43 abut to limit the downward motion of the same. The upper motion of the lever handles 43 is limited by the U shaped bar held in assembled position by the bolts 111 threaded into the end plates 26 and 27.

Each time any one of the handles 43 is depressed to register .a vote, the actuation thereof is audibly indicated by a bell or alarm 103 mounted upon the fulcrum bar 64. The bell 103 is struck by a hammer 114 located at the end of a spring 115 held in position by a headed screw 116 mounted to the end plate 27. The spring 115 is bent substantially about the screw 116 and is furnished with a free end 117 disposed at a suitable angle to be engaged by the teeth of the ratchet 118. The ratchet 118 is mounted to revolve with the shaft 50, so that when the shaft 50 is revolved intermittingly by the respective teeth 47 of the pawls 46, the teeth of the ratchet 118 will engage the end 117 of the spring 115 and send a tremor therealong to cause the hammer 114 to hit the bell 103 to sound an alarm. The spring 115 is held in normal position, whereby the hammer 114 will contact with the bell 103 by a coiled spring 119 that extends over the ff shaft 55 and has its ends secured to the spring 115. A sliding bolt 120 adapted to engage an aperture 121 may be employed in each instance to lock the lever handles 43 against depression.

To operate the machine, the cards with the names of the candidates are placed in the holder 18 opposite the inspection apertures 20. As the voter steps up to the machine, he will exercise his choice of the candidates and then push down the lever handle 43 opposite the name of the man for whom he wishes to vote. As the respective handle 43 is depressed, the tooth 37 of the pawl 40 will revolve the ratchet 36 through a given arc and consequently theunits wheel 31 of the set from 0 to 1. Simultaneously, with the movement of the ratchet 36 and the units wheel 31, the tooth 47 of the pawl 46 will engage the teeth 48 of the ratchet 49 directly underneath and revolve said ratchet through a given arc. This movement of the ratchet 49 will cause a like movement of the shaft 50, the gears 80 and 81, and the ratchet 118 located at the left end of the shaft 50. The spur gear 80 will actuate the spur gear 81 and thereby turn the units wheel 82 of the totalizers from 0 to l. At the same time, the teeth of the ratchet 118 will cause a tremor to pass along the spring 115 to effect a striking of the hammer upon the bell 103. Likewise, this same operation will happen upon the depression of each lever handle 43, as often as they are depressed. The units wheel 31 of each set will turn through nearly a complete revolution, whereby to register the numbers from 1 to 9 successively before the tens wheel 32 is actuated at all. However, as the units wheel 31 turns through its last arc to complete one entire revolution and thereby bring the 0 before the inspection .aperture 20, the tooth 53 thereofl will mesh with the spur gear 54, which will in turn actuate, by means of the spur gear 57, the tens wheel 32 through a given arc or sutliciently to bring the number 1, on its periphery, under the inspection aperture 20. There will be then no further movement of the tens wheel 32 until the tooth 53 of the units wheel 31 has made another' revolution. will turn through a complete revolution, whereby to register the numbers from 10 to 99. As the tens wheel 32, turns through its last arc to complete one entire revol ution and thereby bring the 0 before the inspection aperture 20, the tooth 87 of the tens wheel 32 will mesh with the spur gear 59 which will actuate the spur gear 60 and the hundreds wheel 88 through a given arc, whereby to bring the number 1 before the inspection aperture 20, so that the number will read 100. movement of the hundreds wheel 33 until the tooth 87 of the tens wheel 32 makes another revolution. Simultaneously, with the aforesaid described movements of the respective sets of wheels 31, 32 and 33, the wheels 82, 84 and 88, for totalizing the number of votes registered, will be actuated through the medium of the teeth 47 of the pawls 46 that engage the teeth 48 of the ratchets 49 to revolve the shaft 50 and consequently the spur gears 80 and 81. In other respects the wheels 82, 84 and 88 are actuated similar to the actuation of the sets Similarly, lthe wheel 32 'f There will be no further of wheels 31, 32 and 38 heretofore described, except that they turn in the opposite direction.

At the end of the balloting, the machine will indicate the number of votes cast for each individual, which result may be observed by looking at the inspection aperture 20 in the rear of the respective candidates name. So, too, the total number of persons voting or the total number of ballots cast for all the candidates may be observed by looking at the inspection aperture 20 located to the right of the machine.

In order to reset the numbering wheels to zero, so that the machine will be ready for a subsequent election, the front section 17 of the false cover 9 is elevated to give access to the wheels 31, 32, 38, S2, 84, and 88. The handle 97 is then manipulated to permit the fulcrum bar 94 to turn upon its trunnions S5, whereby to release the tension of the springs 92 upon the rollers 61 that bear against the peripheries of the numbering wheels S2, 84 and 88. Likewise, the locking handles 16 are pushed upon their fulcrums in a forward direction, to disengage the recesses 71 thereof from the adjacent edge of the fulcrum bar 64, which may be turned, then, upon its trunnions 65 by means of the lever handle 15. This unlocking of the fulcrum bar 64 will relax the tension of the flat springs 62 upon the rollers 61 that bear against the peripheries of the three sets of numbering wheels 31, 32 and 83. The numbering wheels may be now easily turned back to Zero position upon the shaft 8O either by the finger or, if desired, by a goad 1205*.

The section 11 of the false cover 9 may be locked in position by a member 126 having the elongated recesses 12T-127 by means of which it may be slidingly suspended upon the headed-screws 12S-12S secured to the inner side of wall 24: of the box 1-. The member 126 is provided with a tongue 129 adapted to engage a U shaped hanger 130 depending from the under surface of the section 11, whereby to hold said section in position.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine, the combination of a plurality of wheels having numbers on their peripheres, lever handles having pawls, ratchet wheels engaged by said pawls for actuating certain of said wheels, whereby to indicate the vote cast for each individual, said lever handles having other pawls, and ratchet wheels engaged by said second named pawls for actuating certain others of said wheels, whereby to indicate the total number of votes cast for all the individuals.

2. In a voting machine, the combination of a plurality of sets of wheels having numbers thereon, a ratchet wheel attached to one of the wheels of each set, a second set of ratchet wheels, lever handles having pawls, U-shaped springs for holding said pawls in normal position, and said pawls adapted to engage said ratchet wheels, whereby to turn said wheels having numbers thereon, periodically to indicate the number of votes castl for the individuals as wellas the total number of votes cast for all the individuals.

3. In a voting machine, the combination of a shaft supporting a plurality of sets of wheels having numbers thereon, a ratchet attached to one wheel of each set ofsaid wheels, a second set of ratchet wheels, mounted upon a shaft, a gear mounted upon said last named shaft, another gear wheel in mesh with said last named gear wheel, said last named gear attached to a wheel having numbers thereon, and lever handles having pawls adapted to engage with said ratchet wheels, whereby to turn said wheels having numbers to indicate the votes cast for each individual as well as all the individuals.

l. In a voting machine, a plurality of sets of wheels having numbers thereon, a ratchet wheel attached to one of each set of wheels having numbers thereon, lever handles having pawls adapted to engage said ratchet wheels, whereby the movement of said levers will becornmunicated to said ratchet wheels and wheels having numbers thereon, a sec-.

signatures.

@RIEN K. VINCENT. FRED D. HARTFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of latenti. Washington, D. C." 

